Pearland ISD podcast features alumnus Dustin Garrison on 2010 title, college career and shift to education

Dustin Garrison, a Pearland High School alumnus and educator, told the Pearland ISD Building Blocks podcast that his path from evacuee after Hurricane Katrina to the school’s undefeated 2010 state championship team helped shape his later college and professional choices. "Patience has been my mantra since Katrina," Garrison said on the episode, adding that the lessons he learned in Pearland athletics and classrooms carried into his college career and his current work writing curriculum.

The episode, hosted by Superintendent Berger with Producer Mac, focused on Garrison’s athletic and educational journey and why he now works in curriculum and instruction. Garrison described growing up displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, moving to Pearland, and finding a supportive community he credits with changing the trajectory of his life. "Pearland has been really good to me," he said.

Garrison recounted highlights from his time at Pearland High School, including the team’s undefeated season culminating in the 2010 state championship and his role alongside quarterback Trey Anderson and kicker Dylan Nowak. He said the team’s mindset—repeating the word "state" daily—built confidence that carried them through low expectations and difficult games. He also noted a 291-yard rushing performance as a college freshman as a career highlight. "When I get my reps, I'm going to do what I need to do," Garrison told hosts, describing how patience and preparation produced opportunities at West Virginia and Fresno State.

Garrison described a major turning point when he tore an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during practice prior to the Orange Bowl. He said the injury shifted his focus toward education. After receiving advice from teammates and coaches, he prioritized academics—graduating early, transferring to Fresno State and ultimately enrolling in an education major because it was the available option when he arrived late for the summer term. "This is really perfect," he said of shifting back into education, adding that the experience led him to curriculum work.

The episode covered Garrison’s influences—coaches such as Coach Rucker and Coach Evans, teammates including Trey Anderson and Dylan Nowak, and a local family (the Dijon family) who temporarily took his family in after the storm. He described the Dijon family as educators who helped him see teaching as a career choice. Garrison said he has worked in elementary physical education, coaching and now in curriculum development at a district identified in the episode as "HSD."

On his role today, Garrison said he is focused on building programs that prepare students for the workforce. "I'm making a bigger impact by writing this program from the ground up that's going to give these kids opportunities to be successful in a job force right after graduating," he said. He also said he is considering writing a memoir or documenting the team’s story to help others understand how trust, preparation and community contributed to the championship run.

The episode closed with a rapid-fire segment and a final message from Garrison to current students: invest in yourself and surround yourself with people who "speak life into you." Producer Mac and Superintendent Berger encouraged listeners to nominate alumni for future episodes via a link in the show notes.